Bowling-alley.



No. 655,583. Patented Au 7, I900.

L. A. scno z BOWLING ALLEY.

(Application filed Apr. 20, 1900.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT U FICE.

LOUIS A. SOHOLZ, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA;

BOWLING-ALLE srncrr'rcnrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,583, dated August 7, 1906.

Application filed April 20, 1900. Serial No. 13,624; (No model.)

T0 (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis A. ScHoLz, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game-boards of the bowling-alley type; and the objects of the same are to provide a comparatively-small and portable device of this character in which marbles, glass alleys, or wooden balls of small sizes may be used, and the game-pins or men may also be comparatively small.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable bowling-alley with a catapult or spring-propeller for aiming and projecting the balls up the alley or central board to knock down the pins.

I attain the objects of my invention by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a game-board made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3- is a detail perspective view of the spring-propeller for the balls. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the foot end of my game-board.

Like characters designate like parts wherever they occur in the different views of the drawings.

In said drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame or housing of the game-board, said frame consisting of the headboard 2, the side pieces 3, the footboard 4, and the base or bottom 5. Secured centrally to the bottom 5 is a plain fiat alley-board 6, which is smaller than the base 5 to provide raceways 7 for the balls. Between the headboard 2 and the upper end of the alley-board 6 the base-board 5 is inclined toward the headboard, and a groove or gutter 8 is formed transversely of the base to form a runway for the balls, said runway being also inclined toward one side of the game-board in order that some of the balls may roll by gravity in said groove 8 out through the aperture 9 and into the inclined chute 10 back to the player.

In the footboard A a transverse slot 11 is formed, said slot being substantially the same width as the alley-board 6 and being in a horizontal plane slightly above said alley-board. Mounted in the slotll is a spring-propeller or catapult 12, which comprises the handle 13, the shank 14 extending therefrom through the slot 11 and provided at its front end with a slide 15, having a plain smooth under surface 16 to move easily on the alley-board. The slide 16 is provided with two forwardlyprojecting rods 17, which form a 'guideway for the balls 18. As shown, the rods 17 gradually converge from the slide 16 to their front ends 21 to hold the balls in place against the slide when they are to be projected. The rods 17 are bent slightly downward at 20, and their terminal ends 21 are rounded off. The slide 15 is secured to the end of the shank 14 by a socket 22, formed on the rear surface of the slide and secured to said shank by screws or other fasteners. A plate 23, having a sleeve 24 formed thereon, which loosely surrounds the shank 14;, is formed with a bottom flange 25, which bears flatly upon the alley-board and forms a guide for the propeller. An open spiral spring a surrounds the shank and bears at its opposite ends against the slide 15 and the plate 23'. A rubber washer 26, fitted to the shoulder of the handle, serves as a butter for the propeller and renders the'device almost noiseless when used. At the head end of the alley-board a number of spots 27 are indicat-ed, and the pins 28 are adapted to be placed upon said spots. Owing to the widthof the transverse slot 11, the propeller may be moved laterally to aim at a group of pins or a single pin, which may remain during the play at one side or the center of the alley-board.

In playing the game the pins are set up on the spots 27 and the player places a ball of the desired size and weight upon the guiderods 17 against the slide 15. The handle 13 is now drawn out against the stress of spring a, and when the handle is released the ball is projected up the alley-board 6 to knock down the pins, and said ballrmay return to the player by means of the groove or gutter 8 and chute 10 or by way of the raceways 7. If the player fails to knock down all the pins with one ball, he may shift the propeller in the slott 11 to a line or angle to aim at the standing pins remaining.

Many amusing combinations may be arranged by the players on a board of the kind described, and some skill may be developed by practice with the means shown for projecting the balls up the alley. The board is designed to be portable and maybe set at a slight inclination to return the balls of each play.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim is- 1. A game-board comprising a box'like frame having an alley-board at the bottom thereof, pins to ,set up on said board, balls to project at said pins, a footboard provided with a transverse slot-,ahd a spring-propeller for the balls mounted to move laterally in said slot in the footboard, said propeller provided with a slide having forwardly-converging guide-rodsfor the balls, substantially as described.

2. A portable bowling-alley game-board,

comprising an inclosed frame, an alley-board in the bottom of said frame, pins and balls, a footboard provided with a transverse slot, a spring-propeller mounted in said slot, said propeller consisting of a handle, a shank provided with a slide at its end,said slide having a smooth bearing-face resting on the alleyboard, converging guide-rods for the balls secured to the slide and projecting outward therefrom, a spring surrounding said shank, a plate having a tube loosely surrounding the shank, and a rubber buifer on said handle, substantially as described.

3. A ball-propeller for portable bowling- O. J. LUNsFoRD, O. S. BELLER. 

